Amateur Radio Newsline™ Report 1931 – August 15 2014

Amateur Radio Newsline™ Report 1931 – August 15 2014

Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1931 with a release date of August 15 2014 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Ham Radio to fly around the moon before years end; France says yes to direct student to astronaut contacts; a 40 meter intruder leaves the airwaves; the FCC extends mandatory texting to 911 service; an amateur radio club honors the Civilian Conservation Corps and a special event to celebrate the first ever contact between the United Kingdom and New Zealand. All this and more on Amateur Radio Newsline™ report number 1931 coming your way right now.


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HAM RADIO IN SPACE: HAM RADIO TO FLY AROUND THE MOON

The Southgate News says that towards the end of the year, radio amateurs will have the opportunity to receive what might just be the ultimate DX. This, from a ham radio payload transmitting the data mode JT65B as it flies around the Moon. Amateur Radio Newsline’s Heather Embee, KB3TZD, reports:

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According to AMSAT-UK, China is planning to send a lunar orbiter around the Moon carrying a battery powered ham radio payload known as 4M-LXS. The amateur radio payload will transmit a JT65B signal on 145.990 MHz which can be decoded by radio amateurs using the free W-J-S-T software.

The orbiter is one of the test models for pre-mission testing of Beijing's new lunar probe called Chang'e-5. When finally launched, Chang’e 5 will be tasked with landing on the moon, collecting samples and returning to Earth.

For the initial test, the orbiter will be launched into Lunar Transfer Orbit then will perform a flyby around the Moon while sending data back home. After that it will make a return trip to our world and re-enter the Earth's atmosphere after 9 days.

The launch of this ham radio orbiter is planned for 4th quarter 2014, and is aimed at testing the technologies that are vital for the success of the later Chang'e-5 round trip Lunar flight.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I’m Heather Embee, KB3TZD, reporting.

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The orbiter has already arrived at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. As soon as an exact launch date is announced we will let you know. More on this story is posted at amsat-uk.org.
(Southgate, AMSAT-UK, xinhaunet.com)

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HAM RADIO IN SPACE: FRANCE SAYS YES TO DIRECT STUDENT TO ISS CONTACTS

Students in classrooms in France will finally be permitted to talk directly to ham radio astronauts and cosmonauts on the International Space Station. Amateur radio Newsline’s Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, has more:

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Until now, the French administration had been very restrictive. For direct ARISS school communications the operator of the ham radio station leading the contact had to read the questions prepared by the students. The kids were not allowed on the air. And even this was considered as being third party traffic but was tolerated by the French regulatory authority.

But it all changed on July 16th when French State Secretary for Digital Affairs, Axelle Lemaire, responded to a request by the Deputy of the Haute-Vienne Province, Daniel Boiserrie, authorizing French students to participate directly in ARISS educational school contacts. This, as long as they are made under the supervision of a licensed amateur radio operator.

Since the dawning of the manned ham radio in space program most European countries allow students to participate directly in ARISS school contacts under the supervision of a licensed amateur. Until now, the only exception was France. Notwithstanding years and years of efforts, French schoolchildren had no access to the microphone for direct amateur radio communications with the ISS. The letter from the Secretary of State in charge of telecommunications now changes the game.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I’m Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, in Los Angeles.

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At airtime it’s not known when the first of these direct to students in France contacts will take place. (ARISS, ANS)

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INTRUDER WATCH: IARUMS SAYS 40 METER TRESPASSER GONE

The International Amateur Radio Monitoring Service, more commonly known as the IARUMS reports the transmissions on 7 dot 166 MHz, believed to be from the French Centre for Telecommunication and Specialized Data Processing have ceased. The latest Monitoring Service newsletter says that contact was established with the relevant administrative body and it was explained to them the primary status of the allocation to amateur service of the frequency band from 7 dot 000 to 7 dot 200 MHz. This approach was successful and transmissions ceased on July 7th. (IARUMS – R1)

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DX UP FRONT: NEW THREE DGIT THAI LICENSE ISSUED

In other DX news up front, E21EIC has told the Ohio Penn DX Newsletter that he has received a special permit and license E2A contest callsign to use from Thailand. The call is good until December 31^st but he can renew it every year. QSLs must be requested via the OQRS on ClubLog or E21EIC on Logbook of the World. (OPDX)

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DX UP FRONT: CRETE FROM AUGUST 24 TO SEPTEMBER 7

Also listen out for LZ3FN operating stroke SV9 from Crete between August 24th
and September 7th. Activity will be on all bands, mainly CW. He plans to also operate in the Y-Oh DX High Frequency Contest on August 30^th and the 31st. QSL via LZ1PM. (OPDX)

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BREAK 1

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world including the W9QVE repeater of the Argonne Amateur Radio Club serving Elmhurst Illinois.

(5 sec pause here)


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RESCUE RADIO: FCC MANDATES TEXT-TO-911 SERVICE TO ALL U.S. WIRELESS CARRIERS

On Friday, July 8^th the Federal Communications Commission voted to require all of the U.S.’s cell phone carriers and popular messaging applications to allow users to text 911 when in need of an emergency response.

The FCC’s text-to-911 requirements will apply to mobile carriers and to interconnected text-messaging providers that enable consumers to send text messages to and from U.S. phone numbers. The rules will also apply to so-called over-the-top phone applications that support texting to and from phone numbers, but not to messaging applications that only support communications among users of social media and on-line games.

Since 2012, customers using AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobil have been able use text-to-911 service following a voluntary agreement between the companies and the FCC. However the recent FCC decision will require smaller, regional carriers to follow suit by the end of the year.
(FCC, published news reports)

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ENFORCEMENT: FCC PROPOSES $100,000 FINE TO PHONE COMPANY THAT FAILED TO PROPERLY FORWARD 911 EMERGENCY CALLS

Calling the 911 service the single most critical tool for citizen emergency communications, on Monday, August 4^th the FCC has levied a 100,000 Notice of Apparent Liability to the Hinton Telephone Company of Hinton, Oklahoma. This, for its alleged failure to properly route these life saving calls to the proper destination. Amateur Radio Newsline’s Jim Davis reports:

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In proposing the fine the FCC says that the American public universally relies on 911 in a time of crisis. When there is an emergency, citizens can, should, and do trust that when they dial 911, someone will answer the phone.

The regulatory agency says that the Hinton Telephone Company of Hinton, Oklahoma, Inc. undermined that trust and betrayed its customers when for several months in 2013 it apparently routed 911 calls from Caddo County, Oklahoma, to an automated AT&T operator message which instructed callers to “hang up and dial 911” if their call is an emergency. That trust was further betrayed when Hinton allegedly continued to allow 911 calls to be routed to the automated message for three months after the company discovered the problem.

According to the FCC, the company returned the system to functionality only after being contacted by the agency’s investigators and directed to do so. This says the FCC is a betrayal that in its view is particularly egregious and dangerous for a rural community like Caddo County, Oklahoma, whose residents may be far from help and most in need of reliable and efficient emergency communications.

The Commission says that its 911 rules are intended to ensure that emergency calls are routed properly and always result in contact with public safety personnel. It says that the Hinton Telephone Company Inc. apparently failed to use reasonable judgment in routing its Caddo County customers’ 911 calls, willfully and repeatedly violating the FCC rules, and there-by created a significant threat to the life and property of residents. This says the FCC that this is unconscionable and in its view warrants a substantial penalty in the form of the proposed $100,000 fine.

I’m Jim Davis, W2JKD.

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The Hinton Telephone Company of Hinton, Oklahoma, was given the customary thirty calendar days after the release date of the Notice of Apparent Liability to pay the full or to file a written statement seeking reduction or cancellation of the proposed forfeiture. (FCC)

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SWL CORNER: SW RADIO AFRICA IS CLOSED

S W Radio Africa, known as the independent voice of Zimbabwe, has announced its last broadcast took place on August 10th. According to a management post at the stations website, there are a few key archive programs on the main page for the interest of their listeners until the site is taken down. They also add that their thirteen year sound archive will be hosted by archive.org and as soon as that becomes accessible they will get the word out to listeners. (Southgate)

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HAM HAPPENINGS: 2014 D-DAR QSO PARTY SEPTEMBER 19 - 21

The 2014 D-STAR QSO Party will take place starting Friday September 19th at 00:00 UTC and running through Sunday, the 21st at 24:00 UTC. The goal of the D-STAR QSO Party is to communicate through as many D-STAR repeaters as possible around the world during the contest period. All operators who submit an approved log will be eligible for the prize drawing with 10 lucky winners randomly selected to each win a great prize. Full details of this event is on the web at tinyurl.com/2014-DSTAR-QSO-PARTY. (ICOM)

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HAM HAPPENINGS: AMATEUR RADIO CLUB HONORS CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS

On Saturday, July 9th the Lawton-Ft. Sill Oklahoma Amateur Radio Club honored the history of the Civilian Conservation Corps. This with a special event held in the Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge.

Santos Rubio, KB5MQL, is the special events coordinator for the club. He said amateur radio and the history of the Civilian Conservation Corps are intertwined.

According to Rubio, in the past each one of the Civilian Conservation Corps companies had a radio operator and since they didn't have telephones, or cell phones like we do today. In order to communicate back home they used amateur radio, adding that much of it using Morse code.

After the set up was completed the club demonstrated ham radio to those attending. Some 20 contacts were completed during that presentation. (KC5FM)

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HAM HAPPENINGS: WEBCAST OF HUNTSVILLE HAMFEST AUGUST 16 - 17

The Huntsville Hamfest is taking place as this newscast goes to air but if you cannot be there in person there’s another way to join in on the fun and excitement. This, thanks to Tom Medlin, W-5-K-U-B, who is streaming the gathering on August 16th and 17th over the Internet at W5KUB.com.

During the Huntsville Hamfest, Tom will interview vendors regarding their latest products. He will also have several special guests including several ham radio operators from all over the world. .

Once again, that’s the Huntsville Hamfest, taking place August 16th and 17th live at w5kub.com on the world-wide-web. And if you are on Facebook you are invited to join Toms group simply by putting W5KUB into the search bar. (W5KUB)

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NAMES IN THE NEWS: RADIO SWEDEN'S GEORGE WOOD RETIRES

Some names in the news, Famed Radio Sweden international broadcast personality George Wood has retired. According to a posting on his Facebook page on Friday, August 8th, that was his final day at the international broadcaster.

Wood began as a freelance reporter at Radio Sweden in 1975. Following the retirement of Arne Skoog in 1978 he took over the writing and presenting of the program Sweden Calling DXers and its successor MediaScan. In 1994 MediaScan became the first radio program in Sweden and the second in Europe to have its audio posted on the Internet.

In addition to his on the air duties, Wood has been Radio Sweden's Webmaster since Swedish Radio's first website launched in 1995. (Southgate)

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NAMES IN THE NEWS: DL7UXG NEW EDITOR OF DXNL

Johannes Amchiewicz, DK8JB, has announced that he will retire as editor of the German-based DX Newsletter or DXNL. DK8JB took over as editor three years ago and has been supported by Klaus Poles, DL7UXG, who oversaw the Islands on the Air reporting. It is now reported that Poels will be the new editor of the weekly DX information publication with support by Friedrich zur Hellen, DL4BBH. DL4BBH will be responsible for Islands on the Air and other special areas of interest. (DARC, Southgate)

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NAMES IN THE NEWS: COMMISSIONER PAI AT UPCOMMING NAB RADIO SHOW

National Association of Broadcasters president Gordon Smith will engage in a one-on-one chat with FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai. This, the annual Radio Luncheon at the upcoming joint 2014 NAB and Radio Advertising Bureau gathering slated for September 10th to the 12th in Indianapolis. Indiana.

Commissioner Pai has been very outspoken on just about every aspect of broadcasting and telecommunications since his appointment back in 2012. He and Smith are expected to discuss communications policy and how it affects free, local radio broadcasting. (TalkMedia)

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BREAK 2

This is ham radio news for today’s radio amateur. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline with links to the world from our only official website at www.arnewsline.org and being relayed by the volunteer services of the following radio amateur:

(5 sec pause here)

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EMERGING TECHNOLOGY: LITHIUM CARBON BATTERIES MAY OFFER HIGHER ENERGY PORTABLE POWER SOURCE

Yet another new type of battery is on its way that holds promise for more power capacity in a small space. Amateur Radio Newsline’s Stephan Kinford, N8WB, has the details:

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The journal known as Nature Scientific reports on a new chapter in the development of very high energy rechargeable batteries. This using a system called Insitu Induced Fluorination of a Carbon Nanotube Cathode are in development.

According to the report, the advantages of using carbon are that it is cost-effective, safe to use, and the energy output is five to eight times higher than lithium-ion batteries currently on the market. This new battery technology also performs better than two other future technologies being explored. These are lithium-sulfur batteries and lithium-air batteries.

The research team developed the new battery technology for energy storage using carbon nano-materials and a process called induced fluorination. They claim that among other things that the induced-fluorination technology could be used to produce cellphone batteries that would charge faster and last longer.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I’m Stephen Kinford, N8WB, reporting.

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You can read an in-depth article on the work to develop these new high performance batteries at tinyurl.com/lithium-carbon-future. (nextbigfuture.com)

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HAM RADIO TO SPACE: NASA ANNOUNCES NEXT OPPORTUNITY FOR CUBESAT SPACE MISSIONS

NASA is opening the next round of its CubeSat Launch Initiative. This, as part of the White House Maker Initiative which is an effort to engage the growing community of space enthusiasts that can contribute to NASA's space exploration goals.

Applicants must submit their proposals electronically by 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time on November 25th. NASA will select the payloads by February 6th, 2015, but selection does not guarantee a launch opportunity. Chosen experiments will be slated to be flown as auxiliary payloads on agency launches or be deployed from the International Space Station beginning in 2015 and running through 2018.

The CubeSat Launch Initiative gives students, teachers and faculty a chance to get hands-on flight hardware development experience in the process of designing, building and operating small research satellites. It also provides a low-cost pathway to space for research in the areas of science, exploration, technology development, education or operations consistent with NASA's Strategic Plan. It must be noted that NASA does not provide funding for the development of these small satellites and this opportunity is open only to U.S. non-profit organizations and accredited educational organizations.

To date, NASA has selected 114 CubeSats from 29 states, 17 of which have already been launched. Nine more CubeSats are scheduled to go into space in the next 12 months

For additional information about NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative program, visit nasa.gov/cubesats (NASA)

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HAM RADIO IN SPACE: CALL FOR PAPERS FOR AMSAT SPACE SYMPOSIUM

A first call has been issued for presentations to be made at the 2014 AMSAT Annual Meeting and Space Symposium. Proposals for papers, symposium presentations and poster presentations are invited on any topic of interest to the amateur satellite community.

Abstracts and papers should be sent as soon as possible to Dan Schultz at n8fgv (at amsat (dot) org. The final copy must be submitted by September 15th for inclusion in the printed proceedings.

The symposium will be held on the weekend of October 10th to the 12th at the
DoubleTree Hotel by Hilton, located at Baltimore-Washington International Airport in Baltimore, Maryland. (ANS)

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RADIOSPORTS: YOUTH ORIENTED EUROPEAN RADIO TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP 2014 FINAL RESULTS PUBLISHED

The IARU Region 1 website site has published the results of the recent youth oriented European Radiosport Team Championship.

ERTC 2014 was held in Finland one week after the World Radiosport Team Championship in the United States. In ERTC fifteen three person youth teams were seated in one room in front of computers and connected to a global amateur radio simulator over the internet in a virtual reality setting.

When the dust settled, the team of OK2SVA, OK1NOR and OK1JD from the Czech Republic took home the Gold Medal. Italy’s IZ6TSA, IT9RGY and IT9DBF took the Silver with Estonia’s ES1XQ, ES5-TA and ES6AXS awarded the Bronze.

In all, the 2014 European Radiosport Team Championship attracted hundreds of young licensed radio amateurs within the forty-four participating countries. More background on this event including team scores is at tinyurl.com/ertc-2014 (IARU-R1)

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ON THE AIR: BATTLE OF ARNHEM SEPTEMBER 1 - 28

PA0FAW will activate special event station PA44AH between September 1st and the 28th. This to commemorate the World War 2 Battle of Arnhem. The operation will primarily use CW and the Digital modes but there is the possibly some SSB. QSL via PA0AW and SWL reports are also very welcome. The complete story of the Battle of Arnhem can be found on the web at tinyurl.com/4zweod. (OPDX, Southgate Wikipedia)

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DX

In DX, four operators will be active as RI1O and R7AL/1 from Morzhovets Island between August 15^th and the 17^th. Their operations will be on the High Frequency bands only. QSL R1O via R7AA and R7AL/1 direct or by the Bureau.

JH1UVV will be on the air as T88UN from the West Plaza by the Sea Hotel rental shack on Koror Island between August 28th to the 31st. Activity will be holiday style on the HF bands. QSL cards go via his home callsign only. No electronic QSL’s will be available for this one.

EA5IDQ will be on the air signing 9H3JA from Malta between September 18^th to the 25th. Activity will be holiday style on 40 through 10 meters using SSB and the digital modes. QSL via his home callsign either direct or via the bureau.

JH3LSS, will be operational as A52LSS from different areas in Bhutan between September 4^th through the 10th. Activity will be on the High Frequency bands using CW, SSB and the Digital modes. QSL via his home callsign or electronically using Logbook to the World.

M5RI and G8DX will be operational as GJ8DX from Jersey between October 29th and November 4th. Activity will be on all bands using CW, SSB and RTTY with a focus on the 30, 17 and 12 meter bands. QSL using Logbook to the World, ClubLog Oh-QRS or direct to G8DX. Cards sent to the bureau will not be answered.

(This weeks DX News courtesy of OPDX)

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THAT FINAL ITEM: COMMEMORATING FIRST TWO-WAY CONTACT BETWEEK THE UK ANS ZL

And finally this week the RSGB reports that the special event station 2SZ will be on the air from North London from October 11th to the 18th. This to celebrate the first two way radio communication between the United Kingdom and New Zealand.

On October 18, 1924, the first radio communication contact between the UK and New Zealand took place between 2SZ at the Mill Hill School and 4AA in Shag Valley, South Island, New Zealand. The contact attracted the attention of the national press and was reported in the Daily Mail newspaper on October 21, 1924.

To commemorate the 90th anniversary of this historic contact, radio amateurs at stations in Mill Hill School and Shag Valley will recreate the first contact, hopefully on a wavelength close to that was used in 1924. The callsign 2SZ will be used at Mill Hill School in the UK from October 11th to the 18th and GB2NZ will be operational from September 20 to October 18.

This is believed to be only the second time that the U K regulator Ofcom has permitted radio amateurs to use three character callsigns to commemorate a special event. The first was way back in December 2001 when 2MT was used in Chelmsford, Essex to celebrate the centenary of Marconi's reception of a transatlantic radio signal. (Southgate, RSGB)

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NEWSCAST CLOSE

With thanks to Alan Labs, AMSAT, the ARRL, CQ Magazine, the FCC, the Ohio Penn DX Bulletin, Rain, the RSGB, the South African Radio League, the Southgate News, TwiT-TV, Australia's WIA News and you our listeners, that's all from the Amateur Radio Newsline. Our e-mail address is newsline (at) arnewsline (dot) org. More information is available at Amateur Radio Newsline's™ only official website located at www.arnewsline.org. You can also write to us or support us at Amateur Radio Newsline, 28197 Robin Avenue, Santa Clarita California, 91350.

For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the editors’ desk, I’m Skeeter Nash, N5ASH, in Victoria, Texas, saying 73 and we thank you for listening.

Amateur Radio Newsline™ is Copyright 2014. All rights reserved.

 

We need a intruder Watch for unlicensed people operating on 7.255 MHZ and 3.840 MHZ out here on the West Coast.

 

Goodbye RSA

Re: South Africa closed. Another good station bites the dust. The people and personalities of Radio South Africa will be missed as the demise of short wave broadcasting sadly proceeds forward.
It also appears that the operating mode of Radio Mondial has proven too expensive to use for a lot of the smaller SW broadcasters out there. Too bad, it was a good mode.
All we are left now with is the religious broadcasters and the USB pirates above the 40 meter band.